The standard procedure for producing hydrogen fluoride (HF) or deuterium fluoride (DF) lasers is to produce fluorine atoms (F.sup..) by reacting hydrogen (H.sub.2) with excess fluorine (F.sub.2) in a combustor and then to expand the gases diluted with helium (He) through supersonic nozzles into the laser optical cavity. In the cavity the F.sup.. atoms react with either H.sub.2 or D.sub.2 to form vibrationally excited HF or DF molecules which produce lasing.
The present reactants are either very toxic and corrosive (F.sub.2) or constitute explosion hazards (H.sub.2). Furthermore, the present reactants require significant handling problems because of their cryogenic nature.
A considerable amount of study and experimentation is presently being undertaken in order to replace the present laser reactants with alternate sources which are non-cryogenic, more easily handled, and more easily adaptable to mobile systems as required by the Army for their potential chemical laser applications.
Furthermore, the possible new reactants should not produce, upon reacting, any combustion species which are known to be strong deactivators for any of the excited molecules, either HF or DF, which are responsible for the lasing. Thus, the HF produced in the combustor when H.sub.2 and F.sub.2 are reacted serves as a moderate deactivator for any excited DF produced in the laser cavity. This will result in a lower performance of the laser device.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide compounds as alternate replacements for hydrogen as a fuel in the production of F.sup.. atoms for use in an HF or DF laser.
Another object of this invention is to provide solid and/or liquid fuel compounds as alternate replacements for hydrogen as a fuel in the production of F.sup.. atoms.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method employing solid and/or liquid fuel compounds as alternate replacements for hydrogen as a fuel in the production of F.sup.. atoms.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a method employing solid and/or liquid fuel compounds as alternate replacements for hydrogen as a fuel in the production of F.sup.. atoms thus obviating the need for some of the bulky pressurized or cryogenic cylinders presently required for HF or DF lasers employing stored hydrogen as a fuel.